Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

O. L. HOPKINS.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1904..

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 12 1904.

CHARLES L. HOPKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUR- TAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEIVARK, NEWV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEIV JERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,590, dated July 12, 1904.

Application filed March 28, 1904. SerialNo. 200.872. (N model.)

To (LU, 7U7L0IJ7/ it ntmy concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in curtain-fixtures of that general type wherein a spring-actuated curtain or shade is provided at its lower end with a curtain-stick carrying spring-messed heads or shoes adapted to frictionally engage the sides of the casing or grooves therein to hold the curtain at any ad- 1 5 justed position against the pull of the curtainroller.

My invention has for its principal object the production of an improved and simplified fixture wherein the roller or rollers carried by the heads may be made to perform the double function of friction devices to hold the curtain when the curtain-stick is in normal or horizontal position and of antifriction devices to permit the automatic self-righting of the our- 5 tain when the curtain-stick is canted.

Vith this object in View the invention employs as its chief distinguishing characteristic and in combination with the head and one or more rollers carried thereby a brake, also car- 3 ried by the head and comprising a brake-shoe or like member having a braking-surface and a bodily-movable actuating element adapted to project into contact with the window-cas-v ing in such a manner as to apply the brake shoe or surface to the roller or rollers under the resistance of the casing opposed to the thrust of the curtain-stick spring when the fixture is in its normal or horizontal holding position, but which is released automatically 4 when the fixture is canted, so as to permit the roller to act as an antifriction device for selfrighting purposes.

My invention in its preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a curtain carrying one end of the fixture, the latter being shown partly in vertical section and in the normal or horizontal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same parts, but 5 showing the fixture in an inclined or canted position; and Fig. 3 is a face view of the head of the fixture.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates a fragment of the lower portion of a window or other curtain in and transversely of which is mounted the usual hollow curtain-stick 6, the latter carrying in each end the shank 7 of a hollow head 8, normally pressed outwardly by the curtain-stick spring 7. In the opposite 6O ends of the head are rotatably mounted rollers 9, between which is mounted a bodilymovable brake-actuating member carrying at its ends brake shoes or surfaces adapted for cooperation with the rollers 9 when the fix- 5 ture is in its normal or horizontal position. This brake-actuating member may take a variety of forms within the purview of the invention, but is herein shown as consisting of a longitudinally-extensible device in the na- 7 ture of a bow-string 10, held between inner and outer guide-pins 11 and 12, mounted in and between the side walls of the head on opposite sides of its longitudinal center, said spring carrying on its ends brake-shoes 13, lo- 7 5 cated closely adjacent to the peripheries of the rollers 9. The elasticity of the spring 10, 1 together with the action of its guiding and confining members 11 and 12, serves to hold the brake-shoes 13 slightly removed from the rollers 9 or contacting the latter without pressure when the spring is free from engagement with the surface of the casing or the bottom wall of the groove therein, (conventionally indicated by the line 14:.) When, however, the fixture 5 is in place and is performing its normal function of a holding device for the curtain, the resistance of the wall 14: of the casing acting upon the longitudinal center of the spring in opposition to the outward thrust of the cur- 9 tain-stick spring 7 has the effect of longitudinally extending the spring, so as to throw the brake-shoes 13 into engagement with the peripheries of the rollers 9 with sufficient force and pressure to brake them against free rotation, and thus convert them from antifriction devices into devices for frictionally retaining the head stationary relatively to the casing against the upward pull of the curtain-roller spring. When now the curtainstick becomes inclined or canted, as shown in Fig. 2, the resistance effect offered by the casing to the curtain-stick spring through the brake-spring 10 and the head is intermitted or relieved, and the natural elasticity of the spring 10 exerts itself sufiiciently to retract the brake shoes or relieve their pressure against the rollers, whereupon the latter are at once free to rotate and thus assume the character of antifriction devices, which permits the ready self-righting of the fixture under the uniform upward pull of the curtainroller spring.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device when in normal or horizontal holding position has a friction hold through its head upon the casing, both at the contact-points of the rollers and at the contact-point of the brake-spring thereagainst; but when the fixture is canted the frictional hold of the head upon the casing is released until the self-righting has occurred, whereupon said frictional hold is instantly and automatically restored. However, when the frictional holding effect of the braked or retarded rollers is ample the wall-engaging surface of the brake-spring may be made hard and smooth, so as to have little or no frictional holding effect upon the wall, it being understood that the chief function of the brake-spring is to brake or retard the rollers when the fixture is horizontal, in the manner already described, although its wall-contacting surface may be roughened or otherwise frictionized to create an auxiliary holding effect when necessary or desirable.

It is evident that numerous changes and modifications of the particular structure here in shown and described might be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or principle of the invention, and hence I do not limit the latter to the construction and arrangement shown and described, except to theextent indicated in specific claims.

I claim 1. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a curtainstick and a spring-pressed head mounted on. said stick, of a roller mounted in said head and a brake therefor, said brake comprising a brake shoe or surface and a bodilymovable element carried by the head adapted to project into contact with the window-casing and to move said brake-shoe into contact with the roller when the curtain-stick is in a horizontal or normal position.

2. In a curtain-fixture,the combination with.

gitudinally to apply its braking-surface to the,

roller under the resistance of the casing opposed to the thrust of the curtain-stick spring.

3. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a curtain stick and a spring-actuated head mounted on the end thereof, of a pair of rollers mounted in said head on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the latter, respectively, and a longitudinally-extensible brake carried by the head between said rollers having brake-surfaces which are applied to the rollers under the resistance of the casing opposed to the thrust of. the curtain-stick spring when the fixture is normal or horizontal and released therefrom when the fixture is canted.

4. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a curtain-stick and a head mounted on the end thereof, of apair of rollers mounted in the opposite ends of said head, respectively, and a longitudinally-extensible brake mounted in the head between said rollers having brake surfaces cooperating with the latter, said rollers and brake normally bearing against the surface of the casing under the thrust of the curtain-stick spring with the brake extended and its brake-surfaces thereby applied to the rollers to frictionally hold the curtain.

5. In a curtainfixture,the combination with a curtain-stick, of a spring-actuated head in the stick, said head having a roller adapted to contact with the window-frame, and elastic braking means applied to said roller by the pressure of the head against the window-casmg.

6. In a curtainfixture,the combination with a curtain-stick having spring-pressed heads, of rollers at each end of each head adapted to act as antifriction means when the curtainstick is canted, and elastic braking means carried by said heads and applied to the rollers by the pressure of the heads against the window-casing when the fixture is horizontal or normal.

7. In a curtain-fixture,the combination with a curtain-stick and heads mounted on the ends thereof, of a pair of rollers mounted in the opposite ends of each head, respectively, and a bow-spring mounted in the head between said rollers and having a brake-shoe on each end thereof, the central portion of said spring projecting into bearing contact with the surface of the casing and extending the brakeshoes into engagement with the rollers under the thrust of the curtain-stick spring when the fixture is normal or horizontal, but retracting the brake-shoes when the fixture is canted to permit the latter to right itself. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. HOPKINS. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. Goonwm. 

